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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. toast — bread
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. stock — goods
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. court — of a king
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spring — the season
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. court — for sport
  16. spring — a coil
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. snap — to click
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stock — shares
  22. spring — of water
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com